Self locking container closure

An improved bottle closure, particularly suited for sealing pressurized bottles, said bottle having a ring around the upper portion of the neck of the bottle, said closure including a top portion adapted to seat against the rim of the bottle and seal said bottle, a skirt extending from said top portion to surround the upper portion of the neck of the bottle, means for engaging a lower surface of the ring, the improvement comprising:

• said skirt is radially expandable so that said ring surface engaging means moves outwardly as said engaging means are forced past the ring on the neck of the bottle during insertion of said closure on said bottle;
• a retaining ring frangibly attached to said skirt below said lower ring surface engaging means to allow the complete severance of said ring from said skirt and to limit the radial movement of said lower ring surface engaging means so that said closure is retained on said bottle;
• and
• means for transmitting rotary force from said ring to said skirt after said ring is frangibly detached from said skirt and moved toward the top portion.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a hollow container having a hollow neck bounded at its mouth by a rim, said neck having a ring on the external surface thereof and located below the rim;
• and
• closure means for sealing said container mouth and comprising a retaining portion, said retaining portion including:
• an expandable skirt depending from said sealing means to surround said ring on said neck and having a plurality of locking segments, each of said locking segments having an inside surface and an outside surface;
• a plurality of inwardly projecting shoulder portions extending from the inside surface of said locking segments and adapted to engage a lower surface of said ring;
• a retaining ring completely frangibly attached to said skirt generally below said shoulder portions to restrain radial movement of said shoulder portions and to permit the complete severance of said ring from said skirt, said retaining ring including an inner circumferential surface surrounding a portion of said skirt;
• said skirt and said ring being configured to allow said ring to be detached from said skirt and moved along said skirt toward said top portion;
• and
• means for preventing movement of said ring past said top portion thereby enabling a user to apply removal force through said ring to said top portion.

A container closure for use on a container of the type having a hollow neck, a rim at the end of the neck, the rim circumscribing the mouth of the container, and a ring extending around the neck, the closure comprising:

• a top portion adapted to seat against said rim to seal said container;
• a radially expandable skirt depending from said top portion to surround a portion of said neck, said skirt having an upper edge attached to said top portion and a lower edge opposite said top edge, said lower edge extending past said ring;
• said skirt having a plurality of inwardly directed shoulder portions, said shoulder portions having means for rotationally biasing said shoulder portions away from the ring as said shoulder portions pass the ring on the container, said shoulder portions also including a ring engagement surface adapted for engagement under said ring to secure said closure on said container;
• a retaining ring;
• means for completely frangibly attaching said retaining ring to said skirt below said ring engagement surface to restrict the radial movement of said shoulder portions and to allow the complete severance of said ring from said skirt;
• said skirt and said ring being configured to allow said ring to be detached from said skirt and moved along said skirt toward said top portion;
• and
• means for preventing movement of said ring past said top portion thereby enabling a user to apply removal force through said ring to said top portion.